Palmerston Atoll, Cook Islands
Our last day in the beautiful Cook Islands was spent in the most idyllic way you could imagine, on the picture-perfect coralline islet of Palmerston, a motu in the great Palmerston Atoll.
We have just spent three full days in the Cook Islands, right at the very heart of the Polynesian triangle, and have been amazed by the sheer variety of the islands themselves: the towering Rarotonga, a high volcanic island reminiscent of Tahiti; the unforgettable Aitutaki, an older volcano surrounded by a brilliant turquoise lagoon enclosed by a barrier reef; and now the typical lagoon atoll of Palmerston, its initial volcano now nowhere in sight. In just three days we have witnessed the entire progression from volcano to atoll, a real geologist’s paradise.
But geologists are far from the only ones in for a treat today. Palmerston is fascinating from a human perspective, with its warm and welcoming inhabitants all descended from an initial colonizer, William Marsters, and his three wives. We were greeted with prayers and a very unique singing session, followed by dances and songs by the beautiful local children. After these festivities, the inhabitants of Palmerston took us by the hand to explore their home, and the cheerful community they are part of. As divers however, we were also in paradise! After gathering on the beach and returning to the National Geographic Endeavour to don our gear we departed to explore the outer reef wall – a dramatic drop-off and thriving reef community against the backdrop of startlingly blue, clear water. The formations were varied and fascinating, as were the myriad colourful reef fish that flitted in and out among them. Every once in a while, the sleek shape of a reef shark would materialize out of the blue, and both hawksbill and green sea turtles were our companions during the dive.
This remote, unvisited islet is truly a jewel in the Pacific, and all on board the ship enjoyed developing a relationship with the place, that can go months without contact with the outside world.
Our last day in the beautiful Cook Islands was spent in the most idyllic way you could imagine, on the picture-perfect coralline islet of Palmerston, a motu in the great Palmerston Atoll.
We have just spent three full days in the Cook Islands, right at the very heart of the Polynesian triangle, and have been amazed by the sheer variety of the islands themselves: the towering Rarotonga, a high volcanic island reminiscent of Tahiti; the unforgettable Aitutaki, an older volcano surrounded by a brilliant turquoise lagoon enclosed by a barrier reef; and now the typical lagoon atoll of Palmerston, its initial volcano now nowhere in sight. In just three days we have witnessed the entire progression from volcano to atoll, a real geologist’s paradise.
But geologists are far from the only ones in for a treat today. Palmerston is fascinating from a human perspective, with its warm and welcoming inhabitants all descended from an initial colonizer, William Marsters, and his three wives. We were greeted with prayers and a very unique singing session, followed by dances and songs by the beautiful local children. After these festivities, the inhabitants of Palmerston took us by the hand to explore their home, and the cheerful community they are part of. As divers however, we were also in paradise! After gathering on the beach and returning to the National Geographic Endeavour to don our gear we departed to explore the outer reef wall – a dramatic drop-off and thriving reef community against the backdrop of startlingly blue, clear water. The formations were varied and fascinating, as were the myriad colourful reef fish that flitted in and out among them. Every once in a while, the sleek shape of a reef shark would materialize out of the blue, and both hawksbill and green sea turtles were our companions during the dive.
This remote, unvisited islet is truly a jewel in the Pacific, and all on board the ship enjoyed developing a relationship with the place, that can go months without contact with the outside world.
